Kite Day at Washington’s Headquarters in Newburgh
Did you ever want to say to your kids, “Go fly a kite!”? How about surprising them with exactly that this weekend? On Saturday, September 26 from 2 to 4 p.m., the Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site has free kites for children under 15 years, and museum and headquarters admission is free! If you haven’t been to this wonderful lawn overlooking the Hudson River, you’re in for a kite-flying treat!
Washington’s Headquarters is located at 84 Liberty Street in Newburgh. For more information, call (845) 562-1195 or visit https://hudsonrivervalleyramble.com for ideas about other Hudson River Valley Ramble activities scheduled this weekend.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Touch a Truck at Kingston’s Forsyth Park
Kids love “Touch a Truck” events, and you love doing special activities on the weekend with your children, so it sounds like you might be heading over to Forsyth Park this weekend! On Sunday, September 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., your kids can enjoy checking out all of the cool vehicles on display, and there’s even a siren-free zone from 11 a.m. to 12 noon.
Admission costs $5 per person, and children aged 2 and under get in free with a paying adult. There’s even a Roaming Railroad ride available for an additional $3, as well as the Broadway Photo Booth for $3. Remember, Forsyth also has a new playground to explore! Forsyth Park is located at 157 Lucas Avenue in Kingston. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/jlkny.
Live raptor program at Minnewaska
If you’ve ever tried to save a bird by bringing it to a wildlife rehabilitator, you may have met Annie Mardiney. She and environmental educator Laura Conner present a program on raptors with live birds this Sunday, September 27 at 10 a.m. at the Minnewaska State Park Preserve. This is going to be an engaging and interesting program with these two at the helm! Stay and enjoy a picnic or even a hike after the program.
Admission to enter the park costs $10 per vehicle (unless you have the Empire Passport sticker on your car window). The Minnewaska State Park Preserve is located at 5281 Route 44/55 in Kerhonkson. For more information or to reserve a place for the program, call (845) 255-0752 or visit https://hudsonrivervalleyramble.com.
Agrisculpture activities at Storm King Art Center
When you’re looking for an outdoor activity to do with the kids while the weather is still good, or you want a chance to admire more foliage, keep the Storm King Art Center in mind. Every Sunday at 1 p.m. during the season, it has activities for children and families, which are included with admission. This Sunday, September 27, the theme is Agrisculpture, and participants will create fountains from found materials in a hands-on workshop with artist Amy Lewis.
Admission to Storm King costs $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, $8 for children and youth ages 5 to 18 and is free for kids aged 4 and under. The Storm King Art Center is located at 1 Museum Road in New Windsor. For more information, call (845) 534-3115 or visit www.stormking.org/children-and-families-agrisculpture-and-water.
Family Day at Vassar’s Lehman Loeb
Maybe you’re looking to broaden your children’s art education, or you need an excuse to visit the Vassar College campus, or you just like free; but whatever your reason, “Autumn Scenes and Calder Dreams” is the theme of this weekend’s Family Day event at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, and I encourage you to attend. On Sunday, September 27 from 1:30 to 4 p.m., participants in Family Day can expect a variety of hands-on activities geared for ages 5 to 10 years, including printmaking, constructing mobiles, brush-and-ink painting and collage. Activities are ongoing, so families can come by at any time during the event. Kid-friendly mini-tours will be offered in the galleries as well.
Vassar College is located at 124 Raymond Avenue in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 437-5632. To learn more about the college, visit https://www.vassar.edu.
Make natural paints at Center for Symbolic Studies in Tillson
Many of us have fulfilled school supply lists for the new academic year, but what would it look like if our paints and pigments were naturally sourced? That’s exactly what Wild Earth is exploring this weekend! On Sunday, September 27 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at the Center for Symbolic Studies, families will make paints and inks from natural materials, then use them for creative expression with handmade brushes and ink pens. Activities include songs, games and an afternoon spent in nature. The cost is $40 per participant, and registration is required.
The Center for Symbolic Studies is located at 475 River Road Extension in Tillson. For more information or to register, call (845) 256-9830 or visit https://wildearth.org.
Learn about bats at Schor Conservation Area in Canaan
You crack up at Bat Dad’s videos, you’re nostalgic about Batman and spooky Halloween decorations are ubiquitous; but how about learning about the real thing and supporting bat habitats? This Sunday, September 27 at 5:30 p.m. at the Schor Conservation Area, you can do just that in the program “Let’s Learn about Bats and Build a Bathouse.” Wildlife biologist Casey Tompkins talks about the importance that bats play in our ecosystem, and participants will build a bathouse to take home for their gardens.
The cost of the program is $5 for materials, and registration is required. The Schor Conservation Area is located at 58 Shoreview Drive in Canaan. For more information or to register, call (518) 392-5252 or visit https://clctrust.org/events.
Erica Chase-Salerno just discovered some great workshops at the Reuner Cancer Support House in Kingston! She can be reached at [email protected].
